Ramallah – MIFTAH recently completed its project to support young women social leaders: “Promoting Women’s Voices” in collaboration with the American Consulate General/ Public Affairs Office in Jerusalem. The project’s activities extended over a period of nearly a year, targeting around 65 young women leaders from various areas of the West Bank. The women received a complete program on capacity-building; it also supported three youth campaigns on sexual harassment and so-called “honor killing” that included a media campaign and direct messaging on the two subjects.
In the closing ceremony held last week in Ramallah’s Movenpick Hotel, dozens of young Palestinian women leaders filled the hall, representing the northern, southern and central areas of the West Bank. Their voices and opinions were heard, all of which sent the same message of change through the initiatives they worked on over the past year on the problems of sexual harassment and ‘honor-killings’.
The first presenter was Wala’ Kilani, who spoke on behalf of her group of young leaders from the northern West Bank ,whose initiative was combatting sexual harassment.
Wala’ explained that her group chose this subject which is very taboo in Palestinian society, saying they decided to “break the silence and overcome the barrier of shame”. Her group set up radio and television spots, awareness meetings and a series of other activities addressing sexual harassment. She also said this exposure meant they became more acquainted with the relevant laws and institutions that support women. “We worked as a team, focused on one idea and pooled all of our positive energies and efforts to change society for the better,” Wala’ said.
Woman leader Ishraq Maswada from the southern district displayed her group’s initiative concerning so-called “honor killings.” She spoke about the training and networking the group received, ways to deal with the media and how to carry out pressure and advocacy campaigns. For this, she credits MIFTAH. “Its trainings widened our scope of awareness and we were more capable of choosing the initiative we found the most suitable,” she says. Her group worked in the Hebron and Bethlehem areas and conducted activities including a wall mural in the center of Hebron. “No to honor killings” was its message: plain and simple.
The central district was represented by Ala’ Al Seekh. The university student spoke about her group’s initiative revolving around sexual harassment in an area covering Ramallah, Jerusalem and Jericho. “No to harassment” was their message, both physical and verbal. “We need to make a difference in society so we can face this dangerous phenomenon,” says Al Seekh. This group produced a video on the subject and held lectures in universities, schools and CBOs. They ultimately came out with a number of recommendations that would contribute to stymying this problem, including a letter to Ramallah and Bireh governor Laila Ghannam to help raise awareness on the subject.
“As law students, this initiative also motivated us to find a way to criminalize such behaviors and to allow women’s voices to be heard,” said Al Seekh.
MIFTAH’s CEO Dr. Lily Feidy addressed the young women leaders, speaking about the goal of the project, which is to empower young women social activists in leadership positions and to support them into taking the initiative in their own communities. She told them that one of the most effective ways of impacting society is through reviving the social youth movement to achieve the aspired-for social change. “Along with the American Consulate General/ Public Affairs Office, MIFTAH has worked throughout this past year in providing this group of young women with basic and necessary quality training, hosting high caliber trainers who have extensive experience in the fields of media and advocacy, leadership and public speaking.”
The American Consulate’s Cultural Attaché, Rachel Leslie expressed her appreciation for such initiatives for young women leaders and for MIFTAH’s role in training them, saying the year’s efforts bore fruits of success. Both Leslie and Dr. Feidy pointed out that the final ceremony came in tandem with celebrations for International Women’s Day on March 8.
“On this occasion, we would like to honor the Palestinian women participants who are the leaders of the future in their communities. Through this program, which included honing public speaking skills, media training and social action, the trainees met with American experts who developed their skills to enrich their abilities as political and social activists,” she said. “The goal is to guarantee that their voices are heard in Palestinian society and to make a positive change.” Leslie capped off by saying that: “We hope this experience has allowed the participants to develop their skills and increase their knowledge so that they could become more effective citizens and leaders in contributing to the future Palestinian state.”
MIFTAH’s project coordinator Abeer Zaghari said the project was two-dimensional. The first was to develop leadership skills among the targeted groups on ways of dealing with the media, advocacy, networking. It also included roundtable meetings with decision-makers and community activists to discuss the issues at hand that face our youth and women today, namely gender-based violence. The second dimension, she continued, was manifested in the three initiatives on sexual harassment and “honor killings”.
Participants also shared their thoughts on these subjects. Shuruq Abu Shama’ said that “Social change takes a long time and needs a series of initiatives, not just one.” She also emphasized on women’s financial independence, saying that “without economic independence, my independence is lacking.”
MIFTAH coordinator and women’s leader Maysoon Qawasmi from Hebron, urged the young leaders to take advantage of the expertise of those older than them in carrying out their initiatives. She also focused on the importance of volunteer work.
Dr. Feidy seconded this, pointing to the importance of volunteer work, calling on the women to reignite the spirit of this kind of social contribution. “Do not let financial aspects stand in your way,” she advised.
Dunia Ina’im from the southern leadership group, called on her colleagues to focus on positive social change through discussion and dialogue. She emphasized the need to involve young men in these discussions as well.
Program director at MIFTAH Lamis Shuaibi urged the women leaders to believe in the cause they are fighting for, “because believing in it will encourage you to push on, in spite of the obstacles.”
The program “Promoting Women’s Voices” was brought to an end with diplomas handed out to dozens of women leaders. The women have left their marks, though,manifested in the hope for a promising future full of young leaders at the forefront of decision making and leadership positions.
MIFTAH releases 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social and security sectors, including social justice and gender indicators
Date posted: April 04, 2023
By MIFTAH
MIFTAH recently released 2021-2022 comparative actual spending reports for the social sector (health, education, higher education and scientific research, social development and labor), and for the first time, the security sector (Ministry of Interior and National Security). The reports were based on annual financial data released by the Ministry of Finance in Palestine for 2021-2022 and on an accrual basis.
The data showed that the Ministry of Interior and National Security had the highest percentage of actual spending in 2022, accounting for 22.8% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.68 billion. This was a slight increase from the Ministry’s share in 2021. Meanwhile, actual spending on the education sector (Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research) stood at 21.5% of overall public expenditures, or ILS3.48 billion. This was also an increase from the education sector’s share in 2021, which was 20.6% of public expenditures.
Moreover, actual spending on the Ministry of Health also increased in 2022, comprising 15% of overall public expenditures, at a sum of ILS2.4 billion. This was higher than in 2021, where its share was 14.4%. As for the Ministry of Social Development, actual spending was still low, amounting for 6.2% of overall public expenditures in 2022, compared to 5.8% in 2021. The Ministry of Social Development’s actual spending in 2022 was approximately ILS1 billion. As for the labor sector, actual spending on this sector in 2022 was 0.31% of overall public expenditures, while in 2021 it was 0.28%. Actual spending on the labor sector in 2022 was ILS50.1 million.
Upon review of actual spending reports of the targeted ministries from a gender and social justice perspective, it is clear that actual spending on the Ministry of Social Development does not coincide with the scope of its responsibilities as the forerunner of the social sector in Palestine, including its programs for combatting poverty and the protection of poor and marginalized social sectors. Moreover, non-compliance to the disbursement of payments for poor families within the CTP continued according to estimates, whereby only two of four installments for 2022 were disbursed, one at minimum value. This adversely affected the financial security of the most underprivileged and marginalized sectors of society, in addition to the insufficient estimated budget and actual spending on the social protection program, in spite of its importance in providing protection and social services to battered women, children, special-needs persons and the elderly.
The data also pointed to the low percentage of women working in the security sector, which stood at 6% of the total number of workers in this sector, while they comprised 46% of the civil sector. This shows a gap in actual spending on the security sector from a gender perspective, given that the lion’s share of actual spending in 2022 was on salaries and wages. Hence, women only benefited very little from these allocations, which were nearly ILS2.9 billion in 2022.
The data also indicated that the development expenditures for the Ministry of Labor were only ILS4.5 million in 2022, even though planned development expenditures were ILS32 million, which is much higher. This casts a shadow on gender-related programs and projects, which were allotted sizeable budgets within development expenditures, such as creating sustainable opportunities as alternatives for Palestinian men and women working in settlements, for which ILS10 million were earmarked.
Even though there was an increase in actual spending in 2022 at the targeted ministries in general, this increase was mainly concentrated on salaries and wages. In spite of the importance of providing a decent life for employees, there is still a need to increase spending on development expenditures, since they are at the forefront of developing government services, including the nationalization and institutionalization of various social services.
MIFTAH concludes town hall meetings on political participation and citizens’ rights for women and youth
Date posted: January 09, 2023
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 29/12/2022 – Within its efforts to promote democratic values and the peaceful transfer of power within the Palestinian government system, MIFTAH’s field advisory team completed over 100 town hall meetings in the second half of 2022. The meetings were held in coordination and cooperation with CSOs, LGUs and grassroots organizations and targeted women and youth in several West Bank and Gaza Strip districts. The objective of these meetings was to raise awareness among the electorate on the electoral system in Palestine and on civil society demands to increase women and youth participation in local and general elections as candidates and voters, on the premise that this boosts their presence in decision-making levels and involves them in public affairs.
The town hall meetings included several exchange visits between LGU members in the various districts. The women shared the experiences and challenges they faced after becoming council members. The meetings focused on the concept of citizenship within a broader definition of the various forms of political participation and the importance of involvement from youth and women in public life. They also pointed to the different forms of democracy and the main pillars of the democratic society Palestinians seek to create. The participants furthermore discussed the various forms of electoral systems and shed light on the gaps in electoral laws regarding the presence of women and youth.
The participants pointed to the importance of periodic legislative and presidential elections and the danger of the ongoing absence of the PLC on matters pertaining to civic peace. They also warned against the absence of oversight and accountability, maintaining that the defunct PLC has contributed to shrinking civic space and public freedoms and therefore, the ability or desire to become involved in political life, especially for women and youth. In most of the meetings, the participants also indicated that the absence of a regular democratic process in Palestine contributed to the overall exclusion of youth from participation and to the marginalization of the role of women in Palestinian political decision-making.
The town hall meetings stressed on the importance of pressing for legislative, presidential and local elections in all West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip districts. They also endorsed the demand for equality in electoral laws, starting with raising the women’s quota to a minimum of 30%, raising the candidacy age and lowering the threshold. They urged Palestinian factions to assume a key role in the process of inclusion for women and youth in the public sphere and to prevent the progression of tribalism in the democratic process. The attendees emphasized the importance of monitoring the performance of LGUs in their interaction with local communities and the consistency of their meetings. Finally, they said female council members must be given the opportunity to exercise their role in their respective councils as equals to their male counterparts.
MIFTAH holds town hall meetings on an annual basis as part of its awareness campaign on citizens’ rights and the promotion of the democratic approach for a peaceful transfer of power, in addition to the involvement of women and youth in elections as both candidates and voters. Each year, through these town hall meetings, MIFTAH aims to reach the widest possible segment of the electorate and the different social sectors in all parts of Palestine.
MIFTAH completes training workshop in the Gaza Strip on family protection and advocacy
Date posted: January 05, 2023
By MIFTAH
Gaza – 2/1/2023 – MIFTAH recently completed a training workshop on measures and regulations on family protection in the Gaza Strip. The workshop was part of MIFTAH’s strategic objectives to prioritize family issues in communities and to support local institutions in increasing awareness on citizenship and constitutional rights for Palestinian women and on combatting all forms of GBV and discrimination in Palestinian society.
The workshop’s objectives included providing institutions with important information on the legislations, laws and measures for family protection in effect in the Gaza Strip, in a bid to enhance the oversight role of CSOs in holding accountable official parties responsible for enforcing these measures and legislations. The training also included offering institutions the necessary mechanisms for managing digital and media campaigns to press for the ratification of laws and legislation that protect women’s rights.
The discussions focused on a number of points, including legal (including sharia law) rebuttals to claims from parties opposing legislation, including the Family Protection Law. They also discussed how applicable this law would be in the Gaza Strip once ratified by the President.
The participants unanimously agreed that they supported adoption of the law, giving no credence to the claims of more extreme elements in Gaza on the Family Protection Law. They called on MIFTAH to hold general, open meetings with the public to introduce them to the law and its importance, so that they could defend themselves from the extremist discourse surrounding it.
Opinions and impressions
One of the participants, Latifa Shatat, said such training workshops were crucial for every Palestinian, male and female. “It is great we are pressing for protection laws such as the Family Protection Bill. This law will have tremendous impact on society as a whole. I can say from experience as a social and mental health worker that protection is the most important element in our work, especially in cases involving women and children, who are the most vulnerable social sectors. I commend MIFTAH and anyone who participates in spreading a culture of nonviolence, protection, justice and equality.”
Meanwhile, Haifa Al Araj said the training offered important details about the Family Protection Law and also ways of conducting initiatives and activities that could produce positive results in mobilizing support it.
Another participant, Hatem Abu Ta’a, said the training was a new starting point for him as an institution director in terms of integrating the demand to implement the Family Protection Law in all advocacy and lobbying activities and programs. He said he became more aware of the impediments to the law’s implementation at the official and social level, saying, “This training reminds us to renew our calls to demand implementation and ratification of the law at the official level.”
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abu Rabee said ratification of the Family Protection Law would be a huge step, for women and children especially. “This law will amplify women’s voices and their ability to access help with stronger and more supportive centers throughout the homeland. As a strong supporter of this bill, I want to stress on the importance of civil society institutions explaining the clauses in the bill pertaining to CEDAW and to also focus on working with parties that oppose the law in particular.”
The training workshop is part of MIFTAH’s “Policy dialogue and Good Governance” Program, which aims at influencing public policies and legislation in favor of protection for citizens’ rights in Palestinian society, based on the principles of social justice and respect for human rights.
